BRUSH PRAIRIE — Michael Thyron wasn’t overly impressed with Prairie’s performance as a team Tuesday night.
But going down the list of contributors to the Falcons’ 3-0 win over Shorecrest in the first round of the 3A state playoffs, the head coach found plenty to gush about.
Alli Corral finished with 11 saves and a clean slate, marking what Thyron calls “leaps and bounds” improvement since she first volunteered to play goalie this season with little-to-no prior experience.
Then there was Malaika Quigley, senior captain, who finished with a brace — two goals — for the Falcons.
“She’s always present,” Thyron said. “She gives us that x-factor.”
Then there was left back Sydney Weber, whose first-time rip from the top of the 18-yard box faded to the right upper-corner of the goal. In addition to that, her performance in the defense saved a pair of goal scoring opportunities by the Scots, and left Thyron pleased.
“She had a fantastic game,” he said. “She was really consistent in the back. Great distribution. She just has that calming presence.”
In what possession-wise (50-50) and shots on target (11 to 11) was an even match, Prairie put its chances away to punch a return ticket to the second round of the state playoffs.
Quigley scored in the first ten minutes on a low shot to the corner, that gave the Falcons an early lead. Weber’s goal came in the 24th minute. When she saw the ball spit out after Savannah Harshbarger’s corner kick, Weber lunged for the ball at the same time as a Shorecrest player, and admitted she didn’t think she was going to get to it first.
But when she struck the ball, Weber knew immediately it was bound for the back of the net.
“It felt really good,” Weber said.
Weber, who has started in the back line for the last two seasons for the Falcons after missing her sophomore year with a torn ACL, scored her first goal of the season on Tuesday.
Defensively, she played an instrumental part in a back line that
“She saved our bacon a few times,” Thyron said.
Shorecrest kept the pressure on in the second half, continually creating chances and possessing the ball in the attacking half. But with nine minutes left, the Falcons put the Scots away when Harshbarger connected with a Quigley header on a corner kick to etch a decisive 3-0 advantage.
The Falcons don’t have one player its offense is centered around, which means when the attack is firing on all cylinders, the opposing defensive strategy turns into whack-a-mole.
Sophomore Alyssa Talkington Shorecrests’ right back on her toes for much of the game, working the outside and creating opportunities in the box. Quigley controlled the middle of the field.
“We don’t have one person to go to, it’s just a whole team effort,” Weber said. “(You) have any outlet, either side we go to.”
And it did so coming off a week in which the Falcons played three games in five days, two of those on the road.
“We’ve got some tired people,” Thyron said.
The win Tuesday keeps the Falcons’ season going, and also, as a response to the milage from the past week, earns them a day off on Wednesday. Practice, Thyron said, will be light stretching and yoga at most.
“A day off to rest will give us that boost to go into next game,” Weber said.
The Falcons hope to make it farther than last season’s quarterfinal loss.
But its reward for advancing to the next round? Prairie must travel to play defending 3A state champs Mercer Island (16-0-1, 12-0 KingCo) on Friday or Saturday.
PRAIRIE 3 SHORECREST 0
Prairie
Goals (assists) — Malaika Quigley, Sydney Weber (unassisted), Quigley (Savannah Harshbarger). Goalkeeper saves — Alli Corral 11. Coach’s standout — Sydney Weber.
Halftime — Prairie 2-0.
